The members of the genus Bordetella, which presently includes B. pertussis, B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica, are small, gram-negative coccobacilli, 0.2 to 0.3 .mu.m by 0.5 to 1.0 .mu.m. They appear singly, in pairs and in small clusters. Their morphology and physiology are more fully described in Zinsser Microbiology, 17th edit., edit. by Joklik et al., 1980, Appleton-Century-Crafts, New York, pages 614-624.
Bordetella species are serious pathogens of the respiratory tract in a wide variety of mammals, including man. B. bronchiseptica is a primary causative agent of atrophic rhinitis and pneumonia in pigs and of infectious tracheobronchitis ("Kennel Cough") in dogs. B. pertussis and, to a lesser extent, B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica cause whooping cough in man.
Peppler et al., Infect. Immun. 44(3):681 (1984), describe phenotypic variation of Phase I, II and III B. bronchiseptica strains. Similar phenotypic variation occurs in B. pertussis and B. parapertussis.
Musser et al., J. Bact. 166:230 (1986), discuss the interrelatedness of Bordetella species.
Goodnow et al., Am. J. Vet. Res. 44:207 (1983), report presence of a heat-labile toxin in B. bronchiseptica extracts and suggest a role for such toxin in pathogenesis.
Robinson et al., Infect. Immun. 40:523 (1983), report that a protein produced by B. pertussis known variously as lymphocytosis-producing factor hemagglutinin (LPF), histamine-sensitizing factor, islet-activating protein, pertussis toxin and pertussigen is important for protection in an intracerebral (i.c.) mouse protection test. Affinity purified LPF was treated with glutaraldehyde to detoxify the protein.
Sekiya et al., Infect Immun. 41:598 (1983), report vaccination of mice with formalin-inactivated B. bronchiseptica.
Relyveld et al., C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris, t277, Serie D, 613-616 (1973), and Relyveld et al., Toxicon 1976, Suppl. 1 (Toxins: Animal, Plant and Microbiol.), pages 1045-1065, disclose preparation of a B. pertussis vaccine by glutaraldehyde inactivation.
To date, there has not been a satisfactory vaccine for protecting canine animals against infection by Bordetella bronchiseptica. The formalinized or otherwise inactivated whole cell vaccines which have been employed cause undesirable side effects, predominantly including transient lethargy, anorexia and vomiting.